Molded pulp set-up box



Feb. 3, 1959 M. P. CHAPLIN MOLDED PULP SET-UP BOX Filed Dec. 28, 1956United States Patent lice MOLDED PULP SET-UP BOX Merle P. Chaplin,Portland, Maine. assignor to Chaplin Corporation, Portland, Maine, acorporation of Maine This invention relates to boxes and moreparticularly to a substantially flat one-piece structure molded of pulpwhich is adapted to be quickly and easily set up to form a box.

Set-up boxes of cardboard sheet material and the like are in wide useand have the advantageofa simple manufacturing process. Such boxes,however, are of relatively light material, necessitated by theoperations .-of setting them. up to form boxes by bending their varioustabs into slits and the like, to position the box sides to provide asuitably formed box, and the use of such tabs is to some extent wastefulof materials. I

, Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention toprovide agenerally fiat set-up box structureof molded pulp material'to provide amuch more rigid andsubstantial box than the known cardboard set-upboxes, and one particularly adapted for the packaging of food in apartially transparent package for retail sale.

It is a feature of the present invention that novel positioning meansare provided integrally molded into the structure to position the boxsides relatively to one another when the box is set up, and hence towholly eliminate tabs and the like heretofore considered necessary.

For the purpose of more fully explaining a preferred embodiment of theinvention, reference is now made to the following specification togetherwith the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the set-up box structure of the invention inflat position;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the structure of Fig. 1 takenon the line 2-2 thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view of the structure of Fig. 1 in setup position;

Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional detail views showing the integrallymolded positioning means of the structure of Fig. l in flat and set-upposition respectively; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are greatly enlarged cross-sectional detail views showingthe positioning means of Figs. 4 and 5 in fiat and in set-up position.

Referring to the drawings, the molded pulp set-up box structure of theinvention comprises in general a flat molded pulp sheet havingintegrally molded lug means so positioned as to act as stops for the boxsides upon said box being set up. Such a flat structure has the greatadvantage that it may be molded by the simplest of dies such as areknown to the pulp-molding art, and, if desired, may even be molded as arelatively large strip containing a plurality of set-up box structureswhich may be separated either in the molding process itself by suitabledie structure or thereafter as by cutting.

More specifically, in the set-up box structure shown, the integrallymolded fiat sheet includes a generally rectangular box bottom section 10preferably having a plurality of apertures 11 therein and generallyrectangular box side sections 12, 14, 16 and 18. Interposed between eachof said side sections and saidybottom section are generally bowed cornersections 20, 22, 24 and 26 with convexly curved ends molded integrallytherewith along 2,87Z,il93 Patented Feb. 3, 1959 each of the four sidesof the box bottom section to there formfold lines 13, 15, 17 and 19respectively and to form fold lines 21, 23, 25 and 27 with said box sidesections. Preferably top corner sections 30, 32, .34 and 36 of similarbowed configuration are provided molded integrally with said sidesections along fold lines 31, 33, 35 and 37 respectively parallelto andremote from said other fold lines, and bowed side corner sections 38 and40" and..42 and-44-are provided molded on opposite sides 14 and 18 alongfold lines 39, 41, 43 and 45 respectively. Said side corner sections maybe provided along their outer edges with tabs 46, 48, 50 and 52 alongsuitable fold lines 47, 49, 51 and 53 respectively. Also, if 'desired, abox top section 56 may be provided molded integrally with one of the boxtop corner side sections, here I fold :lines at each side thereof tocooperate with a lug on-the opposite side of a fold line to act as stopsfor said sections upon the box structure being set up with its sidesections generally perpendicular to the box bottom section and to eachother as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The lugs 60 themselves, as best shown in Figs. 4 through 7 withreference to corner section 24 interposed between bottom section iii-andside section 16, are all similar, being of generally prismatic moldedshape extending along a fold line such as 17 adjacent thereto and havingslanted surfaces 62. adjacent the edge of said fold line and extendingdownwardly thereto. The angle between the contacting portions of saidslanted sections may be at a 45 angle to said sheet in a directionperpendicular to their fold. Preferably, the set-up box ispressed on itsopposite side from the fold line from a dotted position as shown inFigs. 6 and 7, both to better define the fold line, and to make astronger and more flexible hinge by the straightening of fibers of thematerial.

Thus, when a box side section 16 is folded upward at to the box bottomsection 10, the adjacent edges 62 of the lugs 60 along each of foldlines 17 and 35 at opposite sides thereof will contact along theirslanted surfaces 62 (Fig. 7) to positively and rigidly position thesides and corner sections by acting as stops therefor. If desired,adhesive may be applied to such surfaces 62 to holdthe 'box sections inposition. The top section 56, if used, may also be folded into positionand tabs 46, 48, 5t) and 52 cemented to their adjacent side sections 12or 16.

Alternatively, and particularly with the cover 56 omitted,

to those skilled in this art.

I claim:

1. A molded pulp set-up box structure comprising a substantially flatmolded pulp sheet including a generally rectangular box bottom sectionand generally rectangular box side sections with generally rectangularedge sections of outwardly bowed cross section interposed therebetweenand molded integrally therewith to form fold lines on each side of saidedge sections, said edge sections and adjoining sections each havingintegrally molded lug means extending inwardly only along said foldlines at each side thereof to cooperate with the adjacent lug means onthe opposite side of a fold line to act as stops for said sections uponsaid box being set up with its side sections generally perpendicular tosaid box bottom section and to each other, the outer surfaces of saidedge sections and their adjoining bottom and side sections cooperatingto provide across said fold lines smoothly curved contiguous outersurfaces free of outwardly projecting portions.

2. A molded pulp set-up box structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidedge sections have convexly curved ends.

3. A molded pulp set-up box structure as claimed in claim 2 furtherincluding a box top section molded integrally with one of said top edgesections along a fold line parallel to and remote from the fold linebetween said adjacent top edge section and side section. v

4. A molded pulp set-up box structure as claimed in claim 1 furtherincluding corner edge sections of generally bowed cross section moldedintegrally with said side sections on the ends thereof to form foldlines on each end of said side sections.

5. A molded pulp set-up box structure as claimed in claim 1 furtherincluding a top edge section molded integrally with said box sidesections along a fold line parallel to and remote from said other foldlines between said box side section and the box bottom section, said topedge section providing a smoothly curved contiguous outer surface freeof outwardly projecting portions.

6. A molded pulp set-up box structure comprising a section and withconvexlycurved ends along the edge substantially fiat integrally moldedpulp sheet including i t a generally rectangular box bottom section andfour generally rectangular box side sections with generally rectangularbottom edge sections of outwardly bowed cross section and with convexlycurved ends interposed between said bottom section and each of said sidesections,

of each of said side sections remote from its bottom edge sections, andgenerally rectangular corner edge sections of bowed cross sections andwith convexly curved ends on an opposed two of said box side sectionsalong the ends thereof, each of said sections forming fold lines with anadjacent section and having integrally molded lug means with contactingsurfaces slanted at about 45 degrees extending inwardly only along saidfold lines at each side thereof to cooperate with the slanted contactingsurface of the adjacent lug means on the opposite side of a fold line tocontact one another to act as stops upon said box being setup with itsside sections generally perpendicular to said box bottom section and toeach other, the outer surfaces of said edge sections and their adjoiningsections cooperating to provide across said fold lines and said edgesections and their cooperating sections smoothly curved contiguous outersurfaces free of projecting portions.

7. A box structure as claimed in claim 6 wherein the convexly curvedends of three of said edge sections meet at each corner of said box uponsaid box being set up to provide at their corner juncture smoothlycurved contiguous outer surfaces free of projecting portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES, PATENTS2,089,728 Brogden Aug. 10, 1937 2,231,981 Zalkind Feb. 18, 19412,515,113 Chaplin July 11, 1950 2,771,233 Cox Nov. 20, 1956

